BY RICHARD B. GASAWAY
It could be argued that the fire service today is facing issues that are more challenging and complex than at any time in the past. I can’t speak to the entire history of the fire service, but I do agree that chiefs (including me) today are facing very complex and challenging problems (and opportunities). Facing these challenges and opportunities requires strong leadership.
At some time in your chief career, you will be dealt some bad cards: a less-than-ideal political environment, budget cuts that strain your effectiveness, a problem employee who chews up an incredible amount of time, a boss you don’t agree with, and so on. It’s easy to be the captain of a ship when the waters are calm, but it is in the turbulent waters of fierce storms that a ship’s captain proves his worth. The same is true of chiefs as you lead your department through difficult times.
It’s easy to get caught up in your own misery and find yourself chronically complaining about how things could or should be. It might feel good, but it doesn’t get anything accomplished. You can sit around feeling sorry for yourself or you can do something about it. A reputation as a complainer will do little to help your career’s progress, not to mention the damage it will do to the morale of your department and those you interact with regularly. Like it or not, your followers learn and emulate your behaviors as their leader.
Over the past 200 years, the fire service has developed many fine traditions. We honor these traditions and try hard to preserve them and hand them down to our newest members. Unfortunately, in some fire departments, one tradition that has developed is chronic complaining.
Let’s acknowledge it now. Some people will take offense at this article because it hits too close to home. Others will be in denial, justifying their chronic complaining by saying they “just want to make the department better.” There’s a monumental difference between being proactive in making change—sometimes mistakenly labeled as “complaining”—and actually being a chronic complainer. The main difference is in the way the complainer presents his issue.
First, if you must complain, you must make sure you complain to the right person. If you’re not happy with something (or someone), you should stop and seriously consider this question: Who is the person in the best possible position to help me solve this problem? Then set out to communicate your issue courteously and professionally to that person. For example, if the problem is with your boss and you complain to your subordinate, you’re complaining to the wrong person because your subordinate is not in the best position to solve your problem. The chronic complainer is the one who repeatedly complains to people who cannot help him fix his problem.
Second, when you take a complaint to the proper person, you need to offer tangible (realistic) solutions to the problem. We all have the right to feel some level of frustration about things we want to see changed. In fact, truly passionate leaders are never completely satisfied. However, along with the right to be frustrated comes an obligation to be proactive in making positive, productive changes. Toward that end, you need to be able to go beyond identifying the problem to actually solving it. If you find yourself complaining about problems without offering solutions, then you may just be a chronic complainer.
Here are some considerations that can help transform you from a chronic complainer into a proactive problem solver.
- Behavior under stress. Pay attention to how you behave when the heat is on. Sometimes, as a coping mechanism for stress, you talk. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Venting can help to relieve stress. But be aware of how your venting affects those you lead. Although it may make you feel good, you may be unloading your stress onto those around you. And those who follow your lead will learn to become chronic complainers.
- Problems rarely solve themselves. Problems, like fires, rarely self-extinguish, and the longer they burn (fester), the more damage they cause. Like fires, problems are easier to extinguish (solve) if you take care of them when they’re small. Complaining doesn’t extinguish fires, and it doesn’t solve problems, either. It takes hard work to extinguish fires, and it takes hard work to solve problems, too.
- Be a role model for proactive problem solving. One of the finer traditions of the fire service is telling the stories about our experiences at various fires and rescues. This sharing becomes a valuable learning tool for the less experienced. The same can be said when you share stories about how you successfully solved problems. As you develop as a leader, you’ve had your share of successes and failures with solving problems. Sharing those experiences helps to accelerate your subordinates’ learning.
- Lead with logic, not emotion. Although passion is an important leadership quality, don’t confuse passion and emotion. It’s very easy to get caught up in the emotional aspects of a problem. You’ve all seen memos, letters, or even policies written by someone who was upset (emotional) at the time he wrote the item. You’ve also observed leaders who become so angry (emotional) about a problem that their behavior only adds to the problem. The trick is to step back from the problem, calm your emotions, and look at it logically. Chronic complaining is an emotional response. Not only is it unproductive, it’s downright unhealthy.
These are complex times. Budget woes, staffing issues, and terrorism are among the storms we must weather. During these turbulent times, your followers look to you for leadership. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to stop complaining and start leading.
Richard B. Gasaway is the chief of the Roseville (MN) Fire Department and has been a chief fire officer for 16 years. He has a master’s degree in business administration and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Gasaway lectures on management and leadership topics throughout the United States and Canada.
